


one man in his time

by bottomlinsons



Series: merely players [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 11:23:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19317184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bottomlinsons/pseuds/bottomlinsons
Summary: “We’re fake-dating and I’m supposed to publicly break up with you but you’ve been irritating me lately so instead of dumping you I publicly proposed to mess up your plan and now we’re getting married, fuck” au(part one)





	one man in his time

**Author's Note:**

> saw the prompt (from tumblr user: jaydick-hell) and couldn't help myself

⬝

“Okay, shit. Shit.”

Harry swears down at his phone with an intensity that’s almost entirely unfamiliar on him. His thumbs are flying across the tiny keyboard on the screen, pausing only when he lifts a hand to tug it furiously through his air.

It looks like it hurts, and Louis winces in sympathy. He knows exactly what Harry so worked up about, but he asks anyway. He’s always been a bit of a masochist. “What is it?”

Harry looks at Louis like he’s stupid, aghast. “It’s _Jonathan_!” he hisses, frantic. “He’s just texted, he’s on his way.”

Louis has to fight very hard not to roll his eyes. He kicks himself for the sinking feeling in his stomach. He already knew the answer – where is the sense in feeling disappointed by it?

“How far away is he?” He asks, in favour of saying anything sillier.

Harry’s gaze dances around the room, flighty, and never finds a spot to land. “Um,” he looks back to Louis. “Half an hour? I don’t know. How long does it take to drive from his place?”

Deep breaths, Louis reminds himself. There’s no need to get worked up by stupid questions – stupid, _so_ stupid, unbelievably stupid questions. Louis clenches his jaw and bites his tongue hard in the process. It hurts, but it’s a distraction, so Louis doesn’t mind.  

“I don’t know,” Louis says when he’s sure he won’t sound condescending.

“Can you search on Google Maps?” Harry asks. He leaves a pause – just long enough for Louis to consider tearing his own hair out in clumps – and then says, “Uh, hang on. Here’s his address.” He thrusts his phone out to Louis. “Thank you, love you.”

Louis bites his tongue again. This time it’s on purpose.

He focuses again on his breathing as he plugs stupid Jonathan’s address into stupid Harry’s phone. For a few moments, he’s angry, but after a few breaths, he realises the only person that’s stupid is him. Harry had been abundantly clear about where he stood since the very beginning of this whole mess. He’d been clear about his goals – Jonathan – and what he was prepared to do to get him.

It’s Louis who’s gone and mucked it all up.  

By the time Google Maps has loaded up the directions, Louis’ got a familiar stinging behind his eyes. He forces the feeling away when he hands Harry’s phone back. “He’s twenty minutes away, with traffic.”

That works nicely for their plan. There are about ten people downstairs already, mingling. Harry and Louis have prepared a massive spread, they’ve hung banners and everything. By the time Jonathan arrives, a few more people should have shown up, and the party will be in full swing. It’s just as they’ve planned – a perfect, organic setting for Jonathan to witness the end of Harry and Louis’ farce of a relationship.

Harry doesn’t seem reassured though. “Shit. Jesus, that’s no time at all.”

He starts to pace, which is when Louis decides enough is enough. He pushes up from where he’s been sitting, right on the end of Harry’s bed, and steps in Harry’s path.

“Harry. We’ve been planning this for months.”

Close in Louis’ space now, Harry throws his hands up in the air. “Exactly! It’s all about tonight!” He steps around Louis as if he can’t physically stand still. “Everything we’ve done – none of it matters if we fuck this up!”

And that’s.

That’s.

Winded, Louis sits back down.

None of it matters.

Harry spins around in the room, so suddenly that Louis can’t help but look up at him. He’s such a lovely thing, even when he’s panicked, even when he’s reached through Louis’ chest and cleaned it all out. Louis feels breathless just at the bloody sight of him.

“You’re good on the plan?” Harry checks.

Louis swallows around a dry throat. “Yep.”

Harry takes an aborted step forward. “You’re sure? You’ve remembered the – ?”

“Harry,” Louis interrupts him. “I said yes.”

He fights the urge to lean back as Harry steps closer still. It’s bloody torture then when Harry swoops forward and takes Louis’ hands, pulling Louis to his feet.

“Right. Of course, you did, sorry.” Harry smiles softly down at him, his eyes gentle. “I’m just stressed.”

Through his teeth, Louis does his best to grin. “It’s fine. Just. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

To make it easier, Harry chooses that moment to tug Louis into his arms. He wraps him up in a hug, warm and soft and wonderful, and buries his nose in the nape of Louis’ neck.

“I know you do.” His words are muffled into Louis’ neck, his breath spilling hot on Louis’ skin. “Thank you so much, you’ve been.” He shakes his head as if the words won’t come. “I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for you.”

Louis hugs Harry back. There’s no other choice. He does his best to pull away when he can though. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t mention it.”

Harry doesn’t let him move an inch. “Seriously, Lou.”

There is nothing left to do, other than sink into the hug properly. Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s waist, tugging him in close. He’s not sure when he’ll get to do this next.

“Seriously,” he allows. “I’m glad I could help.”

The truth won’t help anyone now.

⬝

Jonathan’s talking to Harry. There’s a group of other people around them, of course, but they’re absorbed only by each other. Louis can see that well enough from where he’s standing, and he’s completely across the room.

This is his cue. It’s the best opportunity to do as rehearsed, to march right on over there and end their fake relationship for everyone to see. For Jonathan to see, specifically, who’s open and willing arms Harry will then quickly fall into.

If all goes to plan, that is.

Louis steels himself and gulps down the rest of his drink. It’s strong – wow, stronger than he thought – but he pushes through it, breathing harshly through his nostrils until his head clears again. When his thoughts to clear, though, it’s not so that he can focus on the party. No, his head doesn’t seem interested in that.

Instead, all he can think about is Harry, and the last months they’ve spent together. He remembers Harry kissing him – the first time, two weeks into their farce when Harry had pressed him against the wall and cradled Louis’ cheeks in his hands. There’d been more kisses to follow, dates that weren’t dates but felt like dates. They weren’t boyfriends, Louis knew that, but they’d pretended so well that Louis fell for it as much as the people around them.

 _It all means nothing_ , Harry had said.

Louis balls his hand into a fist; and that’s what it takes, apparently, to get him moving. Suddenly he is stomping forward, it all means nothing swirling around and around between his ears, making a stern beeline in Harry’s direction.

 _It’s over_ , he’s supposed to say. _We’re done._

All the air in his lungs seems to evaporate as he approaches. By the time he’s behind Harry, he feels a little dizzy.

He taps Harry on the shoulder, clearing his throat. Harry startles a little at the touch and turns, a strange smile on his face. It’s a smile for Jonathan, Louis realises, and it’s nothing like the smiles he’s seen over the last few months. It’s not a Harry smile. It’s just not.

 _I’m breaking up with you_ , he thinks.

“Will you marry me?” he asks.

⬝

**Author's Note:**

> this will be an ongoing series with updates due at no specific frequency 
> 
> if you have thoughts I'd love to hear them! leave them below or shoot me a message on tumblr (and while you're there show some love to the fic post [here](https://bottomlinsons.tumblr.com/post/185926827282) xx)


End file.
